Mass of Renewal is a musical disaster!

I have sung in church choirs all of my life, both traditional Mass, and more folk type Masses. I have played the violin for decades, both classical and folk tunes. Suffering poorly written liturgical music is not something I do gracefully, so if you are prepared to read a bit of a diatribe, read on.


I heard the brand new Mass of Renewal at Mass last Sunday at the parish I grew up in,  St Philip Neri parish in Northport New York. I couldn't wait for the music to end, and it was said by a holy priest who was an excellent homilist. How he suffered this music can only be explained by the presence of Our Lord and the amount of grace in his soul. I would not be able to return to such noise week after week.

The Mass of Renewal  is a musical disaster! I found the music pointless meandering which disturbed my peace with it is tuneless, show tunes type schmaltz exalting the singer at the expense of the Lord.  I would have preferred silence to this unbearable cacaphony. I found it difficult to pray and pined for the traditional Agnus Dei of the Mass of the Angels. That music helps us to focus on heaven, not the performance of the cantor.
No doubt this has already been purchased by hundreds of well meaning church music directors and thousands of Catholics will be subjected to it. No wonder we are leaving the Church!

The Holy Father  has requested Catholic liturgists give Gregorian Chant 'pride of place' in our Masses. Why don't these composters William Gokelman and David Kaufman  (I made up a new word for them!) try to adapt some beautiful ancient melodies into the New Missal t and BURY this disgraceful work before they bother more prayerful Catholics?
For two thousand years, the Catholic Church has inspired the world with soaring spires, illuminated manuscripts and exalted liturgical music. The Mass of Renewal is a disgrace to this inspired legacy and does not deserve to be played  in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.